Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Tue, 7 Mar 2006, David Moberg wrote:

> itfactor36 AT gmail.com wrote:
> > 1. Anyone have any good suggestions to unzip the BL3 .ZIP install files from
> > C:\BASLIN ?
> > Do not have a PKUNZIPper available for DOS and tomsrtbt's gunzip apparently
> > does not work on this.
>
> Can't you copy a DOS unzipper over? IIRC pkunzip does fit on a floppy,
> and you must have a floppy drive if you are using tomsrtbt. Even if you
> are avoiding the shareware pkzip, I think there are some good free
> DOS unzip utilities. Try a search.
>
> If it needs to be a Linux unzipper, try the Slackware 4.0 or Slackware 7.1
> versions. The SW40 version ought to work with tomsrtbt, because
> tomsrtbt is libc5 as far as I can tell. If you can't find either of these and
> you want to use them, let me know and I will post a link.

Is it possible to add the static busybox from BL3 (I can post it, the 
latest version contains unzip) to tomsrtbt?  It is about 415K.  I already posted a 
uclibc busybox-1.1.0-static that is about 420K at 
http://keesan.freeshell.org/bl/busybox-1.1.0-static (uclibc).
To use it, ln -s busybox-1.1.0-static unzip, then unzip, or
./busybox* unzip


> Does your laptop have an ltmodem? I think that it would be pretty unusual
> on a 486. If you really have one, though, setup is simple: just install the
> ltmodem package, insert the modules and tell the dialer to use that modem.
>
> > links2, ...etc. -- even if super-slow.
>
> Your laptop might not support enough colors with X to run links2 or
> abiword. However, you can still use links2 with svgalib, (small non-X
> graphical environment) which might work faster and better on your laptop.
> Are there any word processors for svgalib, or for low-color X?

The links2 compiled for BL supports X but not svgalib so you would have to 
use a different version of links2.  The one from Delilinux needs libc6 and 
related files, and libjpeg, libpng, libtiff, libz.

If you don't need inline graphics, it would be faster to use lynx or links
in text mode with a viewer (zgv).  X takes up more memory.

Abiword needs 8-bit color.  XVesa (the X in BL3.40) does not do 8-bit 
color properly, it does 4-bit or 15 bit or more.  A regular X server (such 
as X_SVGA) does 8-bit (using the Slackware 4.0 xsvga.tgz and Steven's 
no-xvesa.tgz, maybe with some tweaking of the modelines for your laptop 
video in XF86Config..  You can also change the 8 to 15 to get more 
colors).

> > How does one use this 486-specific kernel assuming that this is the best one
> > for a laptop w/ 8MB RAM?
>
> Assuming that you have successfully unpacked the BL3 package, you
> can just move the old kernel (zimage) somewhere else and replace it
> with the new 486 one.

You need to change the name of the zimage to zimage.4dx in hd.bat if you 
are booting with loadlin from DOS.

I have BL3.32 running fine on a 486 with 8MB, using X_SVGA and a special 
set of modelines for WD video chip, but did not get zgv working on it. 
David found the modelines for my video chip listed online.  I also have it 
running on a Toshiba pentium using Steven's modelines with a slight 
modification to match the dotclocks for my video chip (Chips and 
Technologies).

> > TYIA for any help.
> > Will visit message board later.

He means this mailing list, where we all post messages and look for 
answers.

> Welcome aboard.
>
> David

You seem to have done much more homework than the average Newbie.

Sindi